Method, System and Apparatus for Tracking Cortical Stimulator Locations

1. A method, comprising: storing, in a memory of a computing device, (i) a preoperative image of patient tissue obtained using a first imaging modality and registered to a first frame of reference, and (ii) anatomical data defining a plurality of neural tracts in the patient tissue; at a processor connected with the memory: receiving, from a tracking system connected to the computing device, a location in the first frame of reference of a tracking marker connected to a cortical stimulator pad and detected by the tracking system responsive to application of the cortical stimulator pad to the patient tissue; receiving a range of influence of the cortical stimulator pad; based on the location and the range of influence, selecting an intersected neural tract from the plurality of neural tracts, a portion of the intersected neural tract being located within the range of influence; and controlling a display connected to the processor to render the preoperative image, the location and the intersected neural tract according to the first frame of reference; applying the tracking marker to the cortical stimulator pad; the tracking system configured to detect a first component of the tracking marker; after applying the tracking marker, obtaining a postoperative image of the patient tissue using a second imaging modality; detecting a second component of the tracking marker in the postoperative image; and at the processor, registering the postoperative image to the first frame of reference based on the detected second component of the tracking marker.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, at the processor, an identifier of a target one of the plurality of neural tracts; determining, at the processor, a target location on a surface of the patient tissue for placement of the cortical stimulator to intersect the targeted neural tract with the range of influence; and controlling the display to render the target location according to the first frame of reference.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the range of influence comprises retrieving the range of influence from the memory.

4. A computing device, comprising: a memory storing (i) a preoperative image of patient tissue obtained using a first imaging modality and registered to a first frame of reference, and (ii) anatomical data defining a plurality of neural tracts in the patient tissue; a display; and a processor connected to the memory and the display, the processor configured to: receive, from a tracking system connected to the computing device, a location in the first frame of reference of a tracking marker connected to a cortical stimulator pad and detected by the tracking system responsive to application of the cortical stimulator pad to the patient tissue; receive a range of influence of the cortical stimulator pad; based on the location and the range of influence, select an intersected neural tract from the plurality of neural tracts, a portion of the intersected neural tract being located within the range of influence; and control the display to render the preoperative image, the location and the intersected neural tract according to the first frame of reference; wherein the tracking marker is applied to the cortical stimulator pad: the tracking system configured to detect a first component of the tracking marker; the processor further configured to: after application of the tracking marker, obtain a postoperative image of the patient tissue using a second imaging modality; detect a second component of the tracking marker in the postoperative image; and register the postoperative image to the first frame of reference based on the detected second component of the tracking marker.

5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to: receive an identifier of a target one of the plurality of neural tracts; determine a target location on a surface of the patient tissue for placement of the cortical stimulator to intersect the targeted neural tract with the range of influence; and control the display to render the target location according to the first frame of reference.

6. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the range of influence is retrieved from the memory.